Actually the instructions are on the back of each tile, you do a "T" start in the center of the floor.But if I were to give any advice, it would be to start with an extremely clean surface, one you can eat off of, preferably one that could hold a suction cup indefinitely.

I say this because the tiles have a very thin film, if there is any dust, it won't stick, and most likely the others won't either.The tiles need to be warmed as well, at least 100 or so degrees, they tend to be concave out of the box and want to return to that position as soon as they cool, so the floor needs to warm as well. They are not as flat as you would expect.You'll be sweating in the Winter.

I would suggest going with a glue down tile, one that won't have you apologizing and looking incompetent, not that it's your fault, but sticky tiles should only be used on new sign quality plywood, or a floated floor.Sign quality is extremely expensive, it's surface is as smooth as glass.

Why do you think I know so much about it? I learn from others mistakes, but this one was my own undoing.I have an entire kitchen to rip out, all because Toy found the tiles on sale, not cheap quality either, but there's a reason they're so cheap, no one wants the damned things anymore, so they are virtually giving them away.

Yes. Go with sheet flooring if you can (or, better yet, ceramic). The self-stick tiles always seem to shift over time regardless how well you do it. You can also do it without pulling the toilet, but it's not a good idea and not very professional. A lot of people like to caulk the toilet seam too, but if you ever have to pull the toilet, you'll likely ruin the flooring.

On the plus side, self-stick tiles are easy to install. Do a search on YouTube and you'll get tons of instructions

Two things about laying sticky tile instead of rolling adhesive and laying down plain tile.

First, sticky tends to be very tough to get back up, whereas some cements set more slowly so you can reposition IF ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. In any event, prepare the floor as if for supper. And whatever you do don't lay squares directly on top of other squares, since dirt will leach up. I don't know why, it just does. It's better to take up the old tile and sand or chisel until the floor is "clean" again.

If the floor HAD tile, scrape up the old glue and if necessary lay down 1/4" luan ("loo-onnnn") board over the original flooring. These come in 4' x 4' sheets. You'll need enough for the entire square footage and for safety get two sheets more for any fancy trimming to be done. It applies with hammer and nails, but you should use a countersink to drive the nail-head down and allow glue to spread evenly over the luan.

Working in strange areas, like around a toilet? Finish all those nice rows of WHOLE TILES, going in any direction you choose. This leaves just the PARTIAL-TILE area all around the custom-cutting area.

Take a newspaper page and slowly cut around your toilet or whatever. If you cut too closely it will curl up around the toilet. Too loose and you need to add paper back until your template fits tightly. Prepare to tape this template many times or keep tracing it on uncut paper until you can cut it out and fit it and it is TIGHT against the base of the toilet. Before taking the template away, now mark which side was UP.

Now lay that template over however many whole tiles it will take to fill the remaining area. Mark and then cut each tile and WITHOUT GLUING test the tiles' fit until you get tight-and-right. Then lay glue and tile, and after it's dry then add a bead of white or clear polyurethane caulk to seal against moisture leaking below the toilet footer and ultimately rotting the floor. (Very common issue in botched home-repairs, forgetting that toilet-seal area.)

Try Lowe's. They have books with nice pictures. Mine even came with crayons.

If you have a floor area that is temperature-stable and very low-traffic, the self-stick tiles will do you a favor for about a buck a square foot.

However, if you live on the planet Earth, your demands might be a bit more stringent, and your results might be a bit less than perfect.

Two things you MUST understand:

1. These tiles are designed to be installed on a perfectly flat, level, planed, sanded, mirror-finished concrete floor that will never, ever shift, shrink, expand, sag, or otherwise move in any way, shape, or fashion.

2. These tiles are made of plastic that shrinks and expands with changes in temperature.

I put down a couple hundred dollars worth of these tiles in our bathroom/utility room area last summer. When winter came, and as the sub-floor got cold, the tiles shrank, and gaps appeared between tiles. The gaps quickly filled with "dirt" -- the stuff of country life -- and when summer comes back, the tiles will likely buckle because the gaps are filled with "dirt."

I tried and tried to talk Mrs. Tbone into a sheet-goods product. (It would've been cheaper, for one thing...) Oh, but NO! Had to have this tile. Oh well...

Logged

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people. -- Tenth Amendment to the US Constitution

Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; IT IS FORCE. -- George Washington

If you have a floor area that is temperature-stable and very low-traffic, the self-stick tiles will do you a favor for about a buck a square foot.

However, if you live on the planet Earth, your demands might be a bit more stringent, and your results might be a bit less than perfect.

Two things you MUST understand:

1. These tiles are designed to be installed on a perfectly flat, level, planed, sanded, mirror-finished concrete floor that will never, ever shift, shrink, expand, sag, or otherwise move in any way, shape, or fashion.

2. These tiles are made of plastic that shrinks and expands with changes in temperature.

I put down a couple hundred dollars worth of these tiles in our bathroom/utility room area last summer. When winter came, and as the sub-floor got cold, the tiles shrank, and gaps appeared between tiles. The gaps quickly filled with "dirt" -- the stuff of country life -- and when summer comes back, the tiles will likely buckle because the gaps are filled with "dirt."

I tried and tried to talk Mrs. Tbone into a sheet-goods product. (It would've been cheaper, for one thing...) Oh, but NO! Had to have this tile. Oh well...

That's been my experience as well, which is why I told him to bow out gracefully, she may be appreciative after the job is done, but give it a week and the complaining will commence and only intensify as time goes by, resulting in the loss of a friend, or money out of pocket for repairs, or both.It's just a lose, lose situation all around.

That's been my experience as well, which is why I told him to bow out gracefully, she may be appreciative after the job is done, but give it a week and the complaining will commence and only intensify as time goes by, resulting in the loss of a friend, or money out of pocket for repairs, or both.It's just a lose, lose situation all around.

Exactly. Mrs Tbone managed to talk my mom into installing the self-stick tiles in her master bathroom, and within a week the weather got cold and the tiles shrank a bit, and she started complaining about the gaps between the tiles. Being the installer , I had to go back in there and grout the cracks shut so that it looked nice, but I warned her then -- and she'll find out in a couple months -- that the grout will be popping out and the tiles will begin to buckle come summer.

Logged

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people. -- Tenth Amendment to the US Constitution

Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; IT IS FORCE. -- George Washington

Exactly. Mrs Tbone managed to talk my mom into installing the self-stick tiles in her master bathroom, and within a week the weather got cold and the tiles shrank a bit, and she started complaining about the gaps between the tiles. Being the installer , I had to go back in there and grout the cracks shut so that it looked nice, but I warned her then -- and she'll find out in a couple months -- that the grout will be popping out and the tiles will begin to buckle come summer.

Exactly. Mrs Tbone managed to talk my mom into installing the self-stick tiles in her master bathroom, and within a week the weather got cold and the tiles shrank a bit, and she started complaining about the gaps between the tiles. Being the installer , I had to go back in there and grout the cracks shut so that it looked nice, but I warned her then -- and she'll find out in a couple months -- that the grout will be popping out and the tiles will begin to buckle come summer.

You guys are right. They also shift, no matter how well you prep the surface. I used to do them for an apartment complex because that's what they wanted. Within a year the tiles will shift and you'll get gaps. Their tile was basically almond, so I ended up caluking the gaps with almond caulk. Looked okay and is a temporary fix. Self stick tiles look cheap but sort of nice when first done. Ceramic or marble is the only way to go and really isn't much harder.

A wee suggestion about self stick tiles.I don't think Self Stick should ever be used in a bathroom or area that will see excess moisture.

The most important part of starting a tile installation is the floor and underlayment. If their are floor boards visible it needs 1/8" coat of underlayment. Most newer houses have plywood floors. if the floor is plywood it is necessary to make sure the plywood is securely fastened. NO vibration. You cannot lay tile directly on plywood. It needs 1/8" underlayment coating. That need to be sanded smooth like glass. Then Vacuumed "TWICE."

Next thing is to measure the precise dimensions of the room. That includes the toilet.

What you do not want is to have a 1/2, 3/4" piece of tile as the final piece as any terminating wall or object (Cabinet, Toilet, Floor Register. You first work that out on paper. Then transfer that information to the floor.

On large rooms you start in the center of the room as it's easier to control. In a small room like the bathroom shown you can start near the threshold. The object is to create a cross hairs with the vertical and horizontal axis extended outward to every wall. The final piece at every wall or object should be as close to a half a tile as able. That make for a better looking finished product.

My opinion store the tiles in a slightly cooler than room temperature place prior to installing. Don't estimate the temperature - use a thermometer. Measure the temperature near the floor - not at table height. Floors are always cooler. Basement floors are always cooler - if concrete. The tile should be at that temperature for 48 hours.

If the tiles are too warm, once installed they are guaranteed to shrink. If the tiles are cool they have room to expand. I don't know the state of the glue on the self stick tiles today. 30 years ago it was not waterproof and was subject to dissolving from excess water or moisture. You need to buy a "Water Proof mastic for basement floors or probably bathrooms as well. A cheap mastic will make a terrible job. The best tile installations are using a spreadable mastic. Many years ago people used a glued down roofing paper to smooth a floor. Now they have a glue down membrane which should be easy to install.http://www.todayshomeowner.com/video/tile-underlayment-membrane/

That is not a job to do for the first time in a important area. It takes some practice. When You put down troweled underlayment you have be be very careful when applying mastic. The trowel can scratch the underlayment and bring up grit which could show through the tile as dimples.

Logged

The strength of our Society is the continuous recognition, respect and acknowledgment of the right of Freedom of Speech and necessity of high social and moral standards as well as loyalty to the absolute implementation of those principles set forth in our US constitution.

Personally, I think with the cheap price of laminate flooring, sticky tiles are history, as I pointed out earlier, I got ours for a fraction of the cost of original, the store wanted to get rid of them.

Laminate flooring comes in all sorts of colors and designs and is impervious to moisture if installed correctly, per manufacturers direction.I've had loose laminate panels out in the weather for years, and they still look brand new, no sun damage, below zero temps and average 50 inches of rain annually.I just have yet to install them, that's on next years to do list.

As for stick tiles, don't waste your time, bottom line, they are crap and you'll be back replacing them in no time, and they are by far harder to install than any laminate flooring.